University Lecturers Series

The Faculty Senate’s University Lecturers Committee acts as a steward for a Student Services Fee fund that assists colleges, schools, departments and campus organizations in sponsoring outstanding speakers at Texas State University. Limited funds are available and are awarded on a competitive basis to members of the Texas State community who want to sponsor a guest lecturer or a mini-symposium in the following Fall or Spring semester (funding is not available for Summer sessions).

Prior to submitting a proposal, please contact the speaker or speaker’s agent to determine availability and fees. The committee will review the proposals and assign a score to each one based on the speaker’s ability to:

stimulate a wide range of interest in the Texas State community,

involve community members in scholarly dialogue

advance the diversity mission of the university, and

draw attendance from nearby academic institutions and communities.

A call for proposals will be issued by the Faculty Senate in November to alert faculty and university organizations to the mid-January proposal due date for lectures to be offered the following academic year. Notification of funding awards will typically sent in late March.

The committee will approve as many speakers as the budget allows, starting with the top-ranked speaker and progressing through the ranked list. In order to support as many proposals as possible, each award is limited to no more than $3,000. Please note that the committee looks favorably on proposals that reflect joint sponsorship (collaboration across university areas) and on proposals that reflect shared funding (commitment for funds from other sources). Funds should be utilized only for speaker fees, and if needed, travel and accommodations. Receptions, incidentals, and other costs will not be funded Proposals in which the prestige of the speaker is documented, the plan for the event (including marketing) is specified, and the budget is justified (in terms of reaching the broadest audience possible for the funds requested) are preferable. Please note that all funded applicants are required to provide a brief follow-up report to the committee within one month after the event.

University Lecturers Series Proposal Evaluation Process

Proposals for University Lecturers will be scored by the University Lecturers Committee members according to the following criteria and point maximums:

The scores on each proposal will be tallied and listed in ranked order. Proposals must earn a minimum of 50 total points to be considered for funding. The committee will discuss the proposals and make budget adjustments as needed.